Ex-Rockstar dev: AI clones could push GTA 6 PC release closer to console

A former technical director at Rockstar North believes the growing capability of generative AI could influence the release timing of Grand Theft Auto 6 on PC. Obbe Vermeij speculated in an interview that the company might feel pressure to deliver an official PC version sooner than its usual schedule to preempt technically inferior but commercially damaging AI-driven ports.

Vermeij told RockPaperShotgun that generative AI has fundamentally altered the landscape. He stated that if he were at Rockstar, he would be concerned about someone taking the PlayStation 5 version and using AI to convert it into a PC build. While such a port would not match the quality of a developer-led effort, he suggested it could still hurt official sales.

He was careful to emphasize he has no inside knowledge of Rockstar’s current plans. However, drawing on his technical background, he believes generative AI tools are probably capable of producing an unauthorized GTA 6 PC port, though the process would be far from simple.

Such an undertaking would require immense computational resources. Vermeij estimated it would physically take many hours and could cost tens of thousands of dollars in AI processing tokens. Despite the high barrier, he noted that because the target is Grand Theft Auto, some individuals would likely attempt it.

The broader context includes a wave of AI-generated GTA 6 footage spreading on social media in recent months. Separately, reports have indicated that Grand Theft Auto 6 will not include generative AI features or microtransactions at launch.